Bag opening and filling apparatus



Oct 1946- v M. J. HARRINGTON ETAL 2,409,626

BAG OPENING AND FILLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Shet 1 f Filed Julie -11 1943me RHM we mwm WM m J .0 7 mm A a @M 3 4 fl hm Ydm Oct 22, 1946- M. J.HARRINGTON ETAL 2,409,526

BAG OPENING AND FILLING APPARA'III'US Filed June 11, 1943 S'Sheets-Sheet2 IN VEN TOR. Mums; Jl/ngawamu 31 5917054 5 #flMMEe Oct-'2 1 M. J.HARRINGTON ETAL 2,409,626

BAG OPENING AN b FILLING APPARATUS Filed June 11, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 3wfi 47- role/vars Patented Oct. 22, 1946 BAG OPENING AND FILLINGAPPARATUS Michael J. Harrington, Cleveland, Ohio; and Samuel E. Hammer,Eagleville, Pa.

Application June 11, 1943, Serial No. 490,418

This invention relates to the opening and filling of bags and aims toprovide improved apparatus for this purpose which is capable of rapid,efiicient and reliable operation.

Another object of our invention is to provide improved apparatus of thekind mentioned in which substantially parallel relative separatingmovement is produced between a pair of substantially coextending membersto cause positive opening of a bag which has been applied to suchmembers.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus ofthis character in which the relative bag-opening movement between saidmembers is produced by an electric power device and is initiatedconcurrentlywith the movement of the bag onto said members.

Still another object of this invention is to provide improved apparatusof the character referred to in which holding means is employed so thatthe bag will be retained in its open position by said. members duringthe filling operation and in which such holding means is responsive tothe removal of the bag from said members.

Yet another object of the invention isto provide improved apparatus ofthis character wherein the bag opening members are of novel formenabling them to readily enter a bag which is in its folded or collapsedcondition and wherein one of the members causes an initial opening ofthe upper end of the bag.

It is also an object of our invention to provide improved apparatus ofthis kind wherein one of the bag-opening members is carried by a slidewhich controls the feeding of the material to be bagged or packaged.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described 12Claims. (Cl. 226-59)- and particularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of bag opening and filling apparatus embodying ourinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial side elevation similar to Fig. 2 but showing the bagfully opened.

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken across the bag openng members asindicated by line 6-6 of Fig. c

Fig. '7 is a similar sectional view taken on line 'l-l of Fig. 4 andshowing the bag fully opened, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing bne type of bag which can be usedwith our apparatus, the bag being shown in its unopened condition.

Proceeding now with a more detailed description of the embodiment of ourimproved bag opening and filling apparatus shown in the drawings, Weprovide the apparatus with a suitable frame H) which includes atransverse plate member or table H and a base l2 with which the table isconnected by the uprights or columns I3. The table II is provided withan opening I4 for the passage of the material to be bagged or packagedand has a notched portion or recess I5 adjacent such opening.

A pair of bag opening members l6 and H extend in depending relation fromthe table adjacent the opening l4 thereof and, as will be explained morein detail hereinafter, serve to open a bag I8 and hold the same with itsupper end 18a in position to receive material which is discharged ordispensed through the opening I l.

The table II has a pair of spaced members 2e thereon located on oppositesides of the opening I4 and defining guideways 2! in which a slide orcarriage 22 is reciprocably movable. The slide 22 controls the openingl4 and carriesa chute 23 which intermittently receives predeterminedquantities of the material from a delivery spout 24. The chute 23 has adischarge spout 23a at its lower end which extends past the slide 22 andregisterseither with the opening M or the recess l5 ofthe table,depending upon the position of I the slide.

Fig. 2 of the drawings shows the initial condition of the apparatus,that is at the time when the bag l8 has just been telescopically appliedto thebag-opening members l6 and l? but has not yet been expanded bythose members. At this time the opening I4 is closed by the slide '22and the discharge spout 23a of the chute 23 is in register with therecess l5 so that if any material is prematurely dropped from thedelivery spout 24 it will be directed downwardly in front of thebag-opening members 16 and H and will be'prevented from dropping intothe bag H! which is not yet ready to receive its charge of material. Inthis way we prevent prematurely discharged material from interferingwith the bag-opening operation and also prevent the bag from receivingan inaccurately measured quantity of material. I

- In the operation of completing the opening of the bag l8 that is, thespreading orv expanding of its walls which will be further describedhereinafter, the slide 22 is moved toward the left from the position inwhich it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby uncovering the opening M andshifting the chute 23 to the position shown in Fig. 4 in which its lowerdelivery end 23a is in register or alignment with the opening l4 and theupper end of the fully opened bag IS.

The chute 23 is flared'upwardly and its upper end is of a size such thatit remains in communication with the delivery spout 24 for both of thepositions to which the chute is movable with the slide 22, as justdescribed.

The bag opening members l6 and I! constitute an important part of ourimproved apparatus and, as shown in the drawings, comprise tongue-likemembers of which the member I 6 is a stationary or fixed member havingits upper end connected to the table II at one side of the opening andthe member I! is a movable member having its upper end connected to thereciprocable slide 22 so as to be actuated thereby. The stationarymember I6 is relatively wide and may have the same width for the majorportion of its length so that it will tend to hold and support the sideNb of the bag during the spreading or expanding operation. Adjacent itslower end the stationary member l6 may have a slot I 61': therein whichextends upwardly for a portion of the length of this member. The movablemember or-tongue "I"! has a relatively wide portion I la adjacent itsupper end and therebelow has a portion Nb of relatively narrow widthwhich is'bowed or curved relative to the stationary member It so thatthe lower end of the member I! will extend intothe slot lBa of themember l6 when the bag opening members are in their initial position asshown in Fig. 2.- While in this initial 'position'it'will thus be seenthat the lower ends of'the members l6 and I! lie in substantially thesame plane and will readily enter the upper end of the bag l8 when thebag is manually liftedor slid upwardly telescopically onto thesemembers. The width of the portion l'lb of the movable'm'ember'l'! willbe determined by the spacing of the'inner edges I80 of the gussets l8dof the bag I Band should 'be capable of passing freelybetween the spacededges I80 during the bag-expanding movement.

It should be explained at this point'that an important feature'of'thestationary member 16' is the provision of the tapered flanges 26 at thesides thereof. When the upper end of the ba I 8 is slid onto the membersl6 and I! the flanges 26 enter the bag and extend between the side [82)and the gussets Mid and produce a partial opening of the upper end ofthe bag as shown in Figs.'2 and 6. This partial opening of the upper endfacilitates the subsequent opening or expanding of the remainingportions of the bag and also enables air to freely enter the bag toprevent the formation of a vacuum therein during the open-ing operation.It should also be explained that the bagopening members lfi'and I! areof a length toextend substantially to the bottom l8e'of the bag to beopened although bag-opening members of difierent lengths can be'employedor substituted, depending On the length or depth of the particular bagsto be opened.

Since'the movable bag opening member I1 is carried by the slide 22 whichis reciprocably movable in the guideways 2|, it will be'seen that-thismember has a substantially parallel movement at all times during thebagexpanding'operation. In other'words, the relative separatingmovementobtained between the members lli and" l1 during the operation ofspreading or expanding the bag to its fully opened condition is asubstantially parallel relative separating movement. We find thissubstantially parallel movement to be very satisfactory and desirable inthe openin of the bags because it produces a positive action whichquickly pushes the side IBf of the bag away from the side lb and therebycauses the bag to be stretched or distended in a manner such that thegussets 18d and. the folded bottom We of the bag permit it to be quicklyand fully opened. Moreover, this relative parallel separating movementbetween the bag-opening members eliminates the likelihood of the bagbeing torn or punctured and enables the bag to be properly held in itsfully opened position during the period that the material is beingcharged into the bag. It will be noted also that, since the movablemember I! is of a length to extend nearly to the bottom of the bag andof reduced width to pass between the substantially parallel edges I ofthe folded bag, the lower end of-this member will promptly engage thesharply folded portion or lock [89 of the bag during the expandingoperation and will push or snap the same out to its straight ordistended position as shown in Fig. 4.

Suitable mechanism may be provided for actuating the slide 22 to producethe above-described relative parallel spreading movement between themembers l6 and I! and the above described shifting of the chute 23. Inthe present embodiment of our apparatus we show an electric power devicefor this purpose which may be in the form of a solenoid 28 mounted onthe table I l and having a movable armature or core 29 therein. The core29 is connected by means of the link 3!] with one end of a lever 3|which is pivoted on the table H at the point 32. The other end of thelever 31 is connected with the slide 22 by the link 33. When thesolenoid 28 is energized the core 29 shifts toward the right as seen inFig. 1 causing movement to be transmitted through the links 30 and 33 tothe slide 22 shifting the latter from the position shown in Fig. 1 tothe position shown in Fig. 4. Such actuation of the slide produces theabove described bag-opening movement and shiftin of the chute 23. Upondeenergization of the solenoid 28 the tension springs 35 return theslide 22, and the members I! and 23 carried thereby, to their initialposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The energization of the solenoid 28 is controlled by a switch '36 havingstationar contacts 36a and a movable contact 36!). Actuating and holdingmeans for the switch 36, which will be described next, constituteanother important feature of our improved apparatus. As shown in thedrawings the movable contact 361) is carried by an angular member orlever 31 which extends through an opening of the table I l and ismounted on a pivot pin 38. The lever 31 hasan arm portion 31a whichextends laterally beneath the table II to a position just in front ofthe stationary bag-opening member it at a height or point to lieadjacent the upper end l8a of the bag. In this position the arm portion31a is readily accessible to the forefinger of the operators hand whichis lifting or pulling the bag (8 onto the bag-opening members l6 and [1.By the time that the bag has been slid onto the bag opening members andoccupies the position shown in Fig. 2 the operators fore-finger willhave arrived at a point to engage the arm portion 31a, During theremaining upward movement of the bag to bring itto its fully liftedposition the operator's fingerlifts the arm portion 3la=therebyrockingthe lever 31 and moving the contact 36b against the contacts 36a toclose the switch 36 and enerethe solenoid 28. The contact 361) isresilient or flexibly mounted so that it will permit more or lessovertravel of the lever 31 after the point at which the contact 35bengages the stationary contacts 36a. It will be noted also that the endof the arm portion 31a is bent upwardly to form a stop Whichisengageable with the undersideof the table for limiting the rockingmovement of the lever 31. A compression spring 39 acts on the lever 31and tends to move the same in a direction to cause opening of the switch36 Instead of actuating the lever 31 manually as just described to causeclosing of the switch 36 we mayprovide for an automatic closing of thisswitch by the mere movement of the bag onto the bag-opening members Itand H. For this purpose we provide the lever 31 with an arm 40 whichextends toward the'bag opening members 'and has a trip portion ortrigger 400i projecting through a slot M of one of the flanges 26 of thestationary member l6. As shown in the drawings the trigger 48a extendsinto the path ofupward movement of the bag l8 and is adapted to beengaged and actuated by the upper end of the bag during the finalportion of the upward movement of the bag onto the bag-opening membersis and I1. Such actuation of the trigger by the bag produces the abovedescribed rocking of the lever 31 and closing of the switch 36.

When the bag has been fully opened by the members it and I! it isdesirable that the bag be held open by these members until the desiredamount of material has been charged into the bag. To this end w maintainthe solenoid 28 energized during the bag filling operation andaccomplish this by the use of holding" means which temporarily preventsopening of the switch 36. This holding means may comprise a rock shaft43 mounted on the underside of the-table H and carrying upwardly anddownwardly extending arms 44 and 45. The arm44 extends upwardly througha slot 46 of the table and overliesa projection 4'Lof theswitchactuating lever 31. The downwardly extending arm 45 is located inthe line of movement of the bag-opening member l1 and at its lower endcarries a projection or screw 48 which. cooperates with an opening 49 ofthis bag-opening member. When the bagopening member I7 is moved awayfrom the stationary member IE to spread the bag to its open position asshown in Fig. 4, a portion of the bag overlying the opening 49 engagesthe screw 48 and swings the arm 45 in a direction to cause rocking ofthe shaft 43 and downward swinging of the arm 44. While in its depressedposition the arm 4d prevents upward movement of the projection 4! andthus holds or maintains the switch 36 in its closed position. When thedesired amount of material has been charged into the bag and the bag hasbeen released by the hand of the operator the weight of the material inthe bag causes it to slide downwardly off of the bagopening members andthis results in the opening t9 being uncovered. Thereupon the screw 48enters the opening 49 and the resulting rocking of the shaft 43 swingsthe arm 44 upwardly to release the projection 41 and permit opening ofthe switch 36. The springs 35 thereupon return the slide 22 to theabove-mentioned initial position and the apparatus is then ready foranother cycle of operation,

Duringthe bag opening and filling operation the station or position ofthe operator is in front of, andfacingtoward, the stationary member l6and to enable him to observe the flow of material into the opened bagweprovide the opening 50 in this member. This opening also providesclearance for the fingers of the operator which are gripping the upperend of the bag and, addition, provides a spillway for excess material ifthe bag should be filled to an overflowing condition. i I 1 1 In theforegoing detailed description we have shown and referred to only onetype of bag but it should be understood that our apparatus will operatesatisfactorily and successfully with all available types of bags whichare used for packaging purposes.

From the foregoing description and the accomp-anying drawings it willnow be readily understood that we have provided an improved bagopeningand filling apparatus of aconipact and economical construction and whichis capable of rapid and satisfactory operation.

*Although we have illustrated and described our improved apparatus inconsiderable detail it will be understood, of course, that We do notwishto be limited to the particular details and arrangements hereindisclosed but regard our invention as including all changes andmodifications coming withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention weclaim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of adjacentsubstantially coextending generally flat members adapted to be insertedinto a bag by relative telescopic movement between said members and bag,and means for imparting substantially parallel movement to one of saidmembers to cause opening of the bag by spreading the walls thereof, oneofsaid members having an opening therein adjacent itslower end andthe'lower end of said other member being curved toward said one memberand adapted to extend into said openingwhen said members are intheirbag-receiving position.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of adjacentsubstantially coextending members adapted to be inserted into a bag byrelative telescopic movement between said members and bag, one of saidmembers having wedge-shaped edge flanges thereon at a point above itslower end adapted to cause opening of the upper end of the bag duringsaid relative movement and the other of said members being generallyflat and of a narrower width than the spacing of said flanges so as tolie adjacent said one member when said members are in the bag-receivingposition, and means for causing separation of said members bysubstantially parallel movement to produce a further opening of the bag.

3. In bag opening and filling apparatus, a frame having an openingtherein for the passage of material to be bagged, a pair of adjacent substantially coextending members adapted to beinserted into a bag byrelative telescopic movement between said members and bag, a slidemovable on said frame and normally closing said opening, one of saidmembers being fixed to said frame and depending therefrom adjacent saidopening and the other of said members being carried by said slide, andmeans for actuating said slide to uncover said opening and impartsubstantially parallel bag-opening movement to said other member tocause spreading of the walls of the bag.

i 4. In-bag opening and filling apparatusa frame having atransverseytable portion provided with an: openingsfor the passage ofmaterial to be bagged-, .a.pair-of substantially coextendingmembersdependingrelative to said table portion at a point-adjacent saidopening and adapted to receive a bag telescopically thereon and tolocate suchbag with its upper end beneath said opening,jaslide movableon said table portion and controlling said opening, one of said membersbeing fixed to, said tableportion and the other being carried by saidslide for bag-opening movement for spreading the'walls of the bag apart,and means for actuating said slide to uncover said opening and causesaid bag-opening movement.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of adjacentsubstantially coextending members adapted to telescopicallyreceivethereon a bag to be opened by endwise movement of the bagrelativethereto, one of said members being fixedand: the other being capable ofrelative spreading movement so as to spread the walls of the bag apart,means for producing such spreading movement including an electric powerdevice of the solenoid-type connected with the movable member and havinganenergizing circuit, a switch controlling said circuit, and movablemeans operablyconnected with said switch to actuatethesame and locatedadjacent said fixed member so as -to.be engaged and moved by the bagduring-said endwisemovement.

6 In-apparatus of-the'character described, a pair of adjacentsubstantially coextending members adapted totelescopically receivethereon. a bag to be opened, one of said members being fixed andtheother being capable of relative spreading movement soas'to spread'theWalls, of the bag apart, means for producing such spreading movementincluding an electricpower device operably connected with: said; othermember and havingan energizing circuit, and circuit closing meansforsaid power device having a movable element located to be engaged. and,actuated by the upper end of thebag during the telescopic movement ofthe bag onto said members.

'7. In apparatus of the character described; a pair ofadjacentsubstantially coextendingmembers adapted to' telescopically receivethereon: a bag to-beopened, one of said membersbeing fixed and the otherbeing capable of relative spreadingmovement-so as to spread the walls ofthe bag apart, means for producing such spreading movement including anelectric power device having an energizing circuit, a switchcontrolling, said circuit, said other member having an opening adjacentits lower end adaptedto becovered by said bag, and holding meansformaintaining said circuit energized, saidholding means being movable toitsefiective position bysaid other member and being renderedineffectiveupon movement of. a portion thereof into said opening whenthe latter is uncoveredby thebag.

8., In bag opening and filling apparatus, a frame having atransversetable portion provided with. an opening for the passage of material tobe bagged, a reciprocable slide normally closing said opening, meansresponsive to opening movement of said. slide for spreading open a bagand locating'the same with its upper end beneath said opening,av chutecarried by said slide for movement of it delivery end from afree-discharge posltion to, aposition substantially-in register withsaidopening, and 'means for actuating said, slide.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a palrof: adjacentsubstantially coextending members adapted: to receive: a bagzthereon,byrelative telescoping movement between said bag and members, means forcausing relative substantially parallel spreading movement between saidmembers so as to spread the walls of the bag apart including an electricpower device operatively connected with one of said members and havingan' energizing circuit, a switch in said circuit, and movable meansconnected with said switch to actuate the same and being locatedadjacent said members so as to be engaged and operated by the bag.during said relative telescoping movement.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting means havingan opening for the passage of material to be fedinto a bag, a memberslidable on said supporting means, a pair of adjacent substantiallycoextending bag-opening membersdepending from said supporting means andadapted to telescopically receive a bag there on, one of said bagopening members being fixed on said supporting means and the other beingmounted on said slidable member so as to be capableof a substantiallyparallel relative spreading movement for spreading the'Walls of the bagapart, means for producing such spreading movement including an electricpower device operably connected with said other bag-opening member andhaving an energizing circuit, and circuit closing means for said powerdevice having a movable element located to be engaged and actuated bythe upper end of said bag during movement of the bag onto saidbag-opening members.

11. In apparatus of the character described, a supporting means havingan opening for the passage of material to be fed into a bag, a pair ofadjacent substantially coextending relatively movable members dependingfrom said supporting means and adapted to telescopically receive thereona bag to be opened, means for producing relative spreading movementbetween said members so as to spread the walls of the bag apartincluding an electric power device mounted on said supporting means andmeans operably connecting one of said members with said power device tobe actuated thereby; an energizing circuit for said power device, aswitch in said circuit, movable switch actuating means located adjacentsaid members so as to be engaged and actuated by the bag during movementof the bag onto said members, and holding means for maintaining thecircuit energized While the bag remains on said members.

12. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of adjacentsubstantially coextending relatively movable members adapted totelescopically receive thereon a bag to be opened, means forproducing'relative spreading movement between said members so as tospread the walls of the bag apart including an electric power devicemounted on said supporting means and means operably connecting one ofsaid members with said power device to be actuated thereby, anenergizing circuit for said power device, a switch controlling saidcircuit, movable switch actuating means located adjacent said members soas to be engaged and actuated by the bag during movement of the bag ontosaid members, and movable holding means for maintaining said switchclosed, said holding means comprising a member which is movable inresponse to the removal of the bag from said pair of members so as topermit opening of said switch. and deenergization of said power device.

MICHAEL J. HARRINGTON. SAMUEL E. HAMMER.

